This past season, if a U.S. college hockey player touched a puck with their stick higher than 4 feet off the ice, the referees would blow the whistle and stop play. A faceoff would ensue.
Not any more.
Last month, the NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel voted to change the high stick rule.
Beginning this season, a men’s or women’s player will be allowed to play the puck if it is shoulder height. But anything above the shoulder won’t be allowed.
That will also apply to goals scored with an elevated stick.
The high stick rule change put forth to the Playing Rules Oversight Panel by the NCAA Men’s and Women’s Ice Hockey Committee was designed to simplify the call for referees, according to a story in NCAA.org.
Previously, referees had to make a judgment call whether or not the puck was 4 feet off the ice.
University of Maine head coach Ben Barr said he will take a wait-and-see attitude because the size of players may affect calls.
“What is the shoulder height of a player who is 6-feet-6?,” posed Barr. “The goal is 4 feet high. If someone scores a goal with a stick that is above the crossbar, is it a goal or isn’t it?
“I don’t know if this is going to make it easier or harder on referees. It’s hard to tell,” said Barr.
That is one of several rule changes implemented for the 2024-25 season.
Among the other rule changes:
- If a team scores a goal on a delayed penalty, the penalty to the opposing player will be rescinded and both teams will be at even strength.
Several years ago, the NCAA implemented a rule that forced the penalized player to still serve the two-minute penalty even if a goal was scored during the delayed penalty situation.
So a team could score two goals on one penalty.
Barr is glad they have changed the rule back to the way it used to be.
“That could have had a drastic impact on a game. To get scored on and then have to kill a penalty afterwards (is rough),” said Barr. “(NCAA hockey) was the only major level that did it that way.”
- Referees will be able to award a goal if a puck goes across the goal line in the immediate and continuous action after the referee has blown the whistle because he or she lost sight of the puck.
Last year, play was dead as soon as the whistle was blown so if the puck carried into the net, it wouldn’t have counted.
Barr is in favor of the new rule.
“If the puck would have gone in the net (on the continuation of play), it should count. It’s a good rule,” said Barr.
- Referees will be able to downgrade a five-minute major penalty to a two-minute minor or no penalty at all following a video review.
In the past, they couldn’t downgrade a five-minute major although they could elevate a two-minute minor to a five-minute major upon review.
“It should work both ways, not just one way,” said Barr. “That could be a huge moment in a game. If a mistake is made, the referees should be able to fix it.”
But referees can also add a game misconduct or game disqualification to a five-minute major which removes the penalized player from the game.
With a game disqualification, the penalized player would be suspended for the next game. That’s not necessarily the case with a game misconduct although the league can suspend a player who received a game misconduct penalty.
A player receiving a five-minute major for contact-to-the-head will also be assessed a game disqualification or game misconduct penalty unless the referees downgrade it to a two-minute minor or no penalty upon a video review.
Officials will also have every option available for hitting-from-behind infractions.
There will be more of a focus on the victim of a contact-to-the-head or hitting-from-behind infraction and if he or she could have avoided the contact, according to the story in NCAA.org.
“There is going to be some onus on the player getting hit to try to protect themselves,” Barr said.
For example, a clean check could turn into a five-minute, hitting-from-behind major if the player receiving the hit turns their back to the checker at the last second, leaving the checker no time to pull out of the hit.
Brian Smith, associate commissioner of Hockey East, said the rule changes pertaining to the contact-to-the-head and hitting-from-behind penalties are designed to give referees “more leeway and options” in assessing them.
In other minor changes, a team can appeal a game disqualification to the secretary-rules editor and national coordinator of officials.
In postseason games that use a video replay official, confirming game-winning goals in overtime will be optional. If a review is needed, the on-ice officials can consult the video replay official but they will make the final decision.
In women’s hockey, the panel has approved additional language which identifies unintentional collisions including those where the contact is created by the pursuit of the puck.
Smith said the rule will allow for more “physical play north-and-south down the ice” with players being allowed to use body position and angling to their advantage in puck battles.
Body checking is not allowed in women’s college hockey but incidental contact, which usually involves a battle for the puck, is allowed.
The potential increase in physicality in the women’s college game will be beneficial to players who intend to play at the professional level because the first-year Professional Women’s Hockey League allows a lot more body contact.
“We want our (Hockey East) players to be prepared to play at the next level,” said Smith.
